The choice

To be eligible for an award in a given year, a film must be publicly exhibited in a 35 mm or larger-gauge format for paid  admition for at least one week a a commercial theatre in the Los Angeles area between January 1st and midnight of  December 31st of that year. Exceptions to this rule include foreign-language films, which are submitted by their country of origin and need not have been shown in United States.Documentaries and short films have different eligibillty requirements and are officially submitted  by their producers, whereas music awards required the musical artist to file a submission form.

Only members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences may nominate and vote for candidates  for The Oscars. The Academy is divided into various  branches of film productions, and nominees in each award  category are chosen by the members  of  the corresponding  branch; thus, writers nominate writers, directors nominates directors , and so forth. The entire academy membership nominates the candidates for best picture and votes to determine the winners in most of categories.

Aside from bestowing intenational recognition and prestige, an Academy Award can play a crucial role in the success for the major winners. The best picture award, for example, can significantly increase the box office earnings of the winning film. For actors and directors, the award often quickly results in higher salaries and increased  media attention. A long - term advantage is that award winners tend to be offered better pictures and thus receive more acclaim for that work.